Aerial velocipede and track



(No Model.)

W. H. GILMAN. AERIAL VBLOOIPBDE AND TRACK.

No. 550,878. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

NATENT OFFICE.

NITED STATES WVILLARD H. GILMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ARTHUR W. CROSSLEY, OF SAME PLACE, AND JOIINJ. MCCORMACK, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AERIAL VELOCIPEDE AND TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,878, dated December Application filed October 25, 1895. Serial No. 556,546. (11 1115551.) Patented in Canada November 8, 1895, no. 50,521.

To all whom it may concern: tion of my improved elevated bicycle or "e- Be it known that I, WILLARD l-I. GILMAN, locipede and track. Fig. 2 is an end View of of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State the same, the rails being shown as in section.

of Massachusetts, have invented certain new Of the drawings, a designates the upper and useful Improvements in Aerial or Elerail or track, and b the lower or side rail.

vated Velocipedes and Tracks, (patented in The said rails are supported 011 a suitable Canada November 8, 1895, N 0. 50,521) of framework or truss cat any desired elevation which the following is a specification. above the ground.

This invention has relation to that class or (Z designates the carriage, which may be 10 kind of bicyles or velocipedes which are concomposed of a suitable framework in genstructed and arranged to run on an elevated eral structural character similar to that of track and are sometimes callec aerial bicythe framework of a common bicycle. cles. c e are wheels adapted to run on the upper It is the object of the invention to provide track a, the axles of which wheels are con- 15 such improvements in aerial or elevated binected through the medium of suitable framcycles or velocipedes as will dispense with ing f with the carriage (Z. all overhead framework and trussing, obvig designates a horizontally-arranged drivate all swaying or swinging of the carriage, ing-vwheel suitably supported in the lower part simplify the construction, and gain other adof the carriage d and arranged to run on the 20 vantages and overcome other objections, as lower vertically-arranged track b. will appear obvious from the disclosure of The carriage is provided with a seat h, the invention herein given. which may be made adjustable as to height To the foregoing, ends the invention conand from which the occupant may by means sists of an aerial or elevated velocipede emof the feet operate the pedals t' 2' and com- 25 bodying in its construction a suitable carmunicate motion to the horizontally-disposed 7 riage consisting of open framework, an updriving-wheel g through the medium of the per wheel or Wheels adapted to run on an sprocket-wheelsj and 7c, connecting sprocketelevated track or rail, a framing of suitable chain Z, shaft m, bevel-wheel n thereon and character connecting the upper wheel or bevel-wheel 0, compounded or connected with 0 wheels or the axles thereof with the carthe driving-wheel g. I have contemplated 8o riage, a seat in the carriage, a lower horizondifferent forms of means for communicating tally-arranged traction or driving wheel motion to the driving-wheel from the pedals; adapted to run 011 a vertically-arranged track but the foregoing will be sufficient to convey or rail, pedals in the carriage within reach of to those skilled in the art a clear understand- 3 5 and adapted to be operated by the feet of the ing of this part of the invention. 8 5 occupant of the seat, means, as hereinafter The upper track or rail a is secured on the set forth, operatively connecting the pedals top of the trestle or support a in an inclined with the driving-wheel to impart motion to it position-say at an angle of forty-five deand so drive the velocipede along at the side grees, as shown-and the wheels 6, adapted to 0 ofgthe track,and steadying-handles connected run on the said rail, are arranged at subwith the carriage-frame and also within reach stantially the same degree of inclination, of the occupant of the seat, all as I will W while the connecting framework f extends proceed to describe more in detail, and then outward and downward in an inclined direcpoint out in the appended claim. tion to the carriage, which is arranged to run 5 Reference is to be had to the annexed drawat the side of the framework or trestle c and 5 ings, and to the letters marked thereon, formthe rails a b, which latter instrumentalities ing a part of this specification, the same letare grooved, so as to make sure that the ters designating the same parts or features, wheels do not leave the rails in the operation as the case may be, Wherever they occur. of the device.

50 Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva- Handle-bars 19 may be provided at a con- Ioo venient point forward of the seat in the carriage to steady the occupant on the said seat and enable him the better to actuate the pedals in the propulsion of the bicycle.

I'have proposed to connect two carriages and arrange one on each side of the trestlework 0, in which case one carriage would counterbalance the other and a single wheel or set of wheels e, common to both carriages, would be vertically arranged; but the construction shown will be sufficient to make clear the nature and spirit of the invention.

By my improvements I overcome all swaying or lateral swinging motion of the carriage, a difficulty experienced with elevated bicycles hung from an overhead track Again, I dispense with all overhead framework and rails. Moreover, I am enabled to make the supporting trestle or frame much lower than where the rails are above the carriage. The rail a being inclined and the rail 1) being arranged in vertical position, no obstruction can become lodged thereon to interfere with the running of the wheels or menace the safety of the occupant of the carriage.

The construction and arrangement are such as to distribute the friction between the supporting-wheels e and driving-wheel g and so make the contrivan ce easy of operation. along its track.

The wheels (2 and 9 may be of 'the structural character shown or of any other suited tothe purpose, and the angle of inclination of the wheels 6, track or rail a, and connecting-framework f may be varied to suit circumstances.

Ihave contemplated the provision of the carriage with two horizontally-arranged wheels 9 and a single supporting-wheel 6; but the arrangement shown in the drawings will serve well the purposes of the invention, the most important features of which are the arrangement of the carriage at the side of the track with the supporting wheel or wheels running on an upper rail and the driving wheel or wheels horizontally disposed below the seat of the carriage and adapted to run on a vertically-arranged track.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described away of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, it is declared that what is claimed is An aerial or elevated velocipede comprising in its construction, a carriage consisting of open frame-work provided with a seat, supporting wheels disposed at one side of the carriage and adapted to run on an upper rail, open frame-work connecting the said supporting wheels with the carriage, a horizontally arranged driving wheel supported in the carriage frame and disposed below the seat and adapted to run on a lower vertical rail, operative pedals in the frame within reach of the feet of the occupant of the seat, mechanism substantially as set forth operatively eonnecting the pedals with the driving wheel for communicating motion thereto and stead yin ghandles connected with the carriage frame and within reach of the occupant of the seat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of October, A. D. 1895.

WILLARD H. GILMAN. Witnesses ARTHUR W. CRossLEY, O. O. STEGHER. 

